The moonlight was like silver, pouring down and coating the pitch-black street with a layer of cold frost.

A familiar figure gradually became clear under the moonlight.

Qin An contemplated slightly, his right hand already resting on the handle of the Cold Star Saber.

Li, with the patrol gold badge at his waist lightly swaying, a dagger hidden in his sleeve, approached slowly.

Seeing Qin An's vigilant posture, he revealed a playful smile.

"Why so tense? Within Lingzhou City, you and I are colleagues, can I possibly eat you?"

Qin An shook his head, a cold voice saying, "Not necessarily."

Li's playful smile deepened, "Why do you say that?"

Qin An replied calmly, "Even though Lingzhou is large, it's no coincidence that you meet me here and now."

"If there weren't important matters, you wouldn't specifically seek me out."

On the way back to the Evil Extermination Bureau, encountering Li, the patrol gold officer he met not long ago, Qin An felt that Li must have come for a reason.

As for what matters, he did not know.

Hearing this, Li put away his teasing expression and said seriously, "With the task completed, I returned to exchange for needed items and heard you're cooperating with Jinzhou Guard, so I came to see you and left some advice."

Qin An raised his eyebrow, "What advice?"

"The patrol officer and the state guard each have their roles." Li's expression suddenly became solemn, "Frequent interactions, neither good for you nor him."

Qin An frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

He originally thought it was other issues but did not expect he'd come to tell him not to get too close to the state guard.

He felt there must be other implications within.

Since the words were already revealed, he simply asked directly.

Li said meaningfully, "The Jinzhou Guard defends and protects the territory, whereas we patrol officers are the sharp blades of the Evil Extermination Bureau, often venturing into mountains and seas, not returning for three to five years is normal."

"If we maintain close relations with the state guard, I don't know about the overall state, but the higher-ups definitely won't be pleased."

The words were not fully spoken but already sufficient.

After these words, Qin An narrowed his eyes, his gaze hardened.

After careful thought, he instantly understood the crux of the matter.

The patrol officer and the state guard belong to two different levels.

Logically, the patrol officer's power and position should surpass the state guard.

But these are not reasons for the patrol officer and the state guard to closely associate.

The Daqian government established these two positions with clear divisions, one certainly to slay monsters and protect the safety of the people.

But there's a second reason, perhaps not wanting the Evil Extermination Bureau to band together too tightly.

The more cohesive a group, the more easily it can exert its effect.

But to those above, what they need are obedient people, a blade merely knowing how to kill, not a group bound by strong unity.

If bonded like a hemp rope, how can those above control it?

Just like the Yang Elixir controlling Lingzhou, it is merely a technique of controlling subordinates.

Qin An nodded, cupping his hands, "Thank you for the advice."

He did not understand what purpose Li had for saying all this.

However, regardless of Li's purpose, these words indeed woke him up.

He was already involved in the Yang Elixir affair, and with a covert investigation from above, it's impossible to avoid all traces.

If they truly tracked it to him, coupled with his deep exchanges with the state guard, the higher-ups might suddenly make a big move against him.

As for these so-called exchanges with the state guard, whether it's an intertwining of power or not, those above won't care.

The higher-ups just need suspicion, no need for evidence.

Qin An now already faces the danger with the Yang Elixir; it certainly isn't wise to get too close to the state guard.

Li waved his hand, "Just a slight admiration for you, and mentioned it casually without other intentions."

He spoke these words sincerely.

In the wilderness, he witnessed firsthand how Qin An pursued and killed the Fire Crow Clan Leader.

At that time, two colleagues wanted to intercept, but he stopped them.

He was just curious.

After watching the whole process unfold, his impression of Qin An changed greatly.

With both strength and courage, even analyzing in such a situation that the Fire Crow Clan Leader's secret technique wouldn't last long and adopting a delaying tactic.

In both temperament and power, he was an excellent choice.

Being a patrol gold officer, superior in rank to Qin An, and considered a senior, he had also experienced many life-and-death battles in the Evil Extermination Bureau.

So when faced with such a potential junior, he thought not to let them die prematurely.

At least not prematurely by the hands of the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Li yawned, turned, and prepared to leave, "Since you know, I'll say no more, I take my leave."

Patrol officers never have a day of leisure, like Qin An who balances work and rest, are rare.

So Li came back this trip, exchanged for merits, and must go out to execute tasks again.

"Wait a moment." Qin An suddenly asked, "Do you know where to find earth vein crystals?"

As these words fell, Li's steps briefly paused, and as he turned, his eyes flashed with sharpness.

"You want to refine your eight main veins with earth vein crystals?"

Qin An nodded slightly, without speaking.

He just casually asked.

In searching for earth vein crystals, asking these patrol officers would naturally be better than asking the state guard.

After all, the nine Jinzhou Guards mostly stayed dead set in Lingzhou.

And the earth veins are in the wild, naturally understood better by a patrol officer's roaming evil extermination role.

Li revealed a smile, then the smile enlarged on his face.

Without any cover, he shook his head, "Some things can be slightly coveted, but some things cannot."

"How hard it is to find earth vein crystals, either hidden away or controlled by powerful families."

"I've been a patrol officer for so many years and only turned two main veins into earth vein crystals, entering the Pulse Condensation Realm early is beneficial for you."

The implication was that earth vein crystals are extremely rare.

If Qin An wants to obtain them, it would delay his progress to the Pulse Condensation Realm.

Qin An frowned tightly.

Earth vein crystals are difficult to obtain, and unlike the Yang Elixir, they cannot be refined.

If wanting to obtain earth vein crystals, it indeed would delay progress to the Pulse Condensation Realm.

Now, placed in front of Qin An are only two paths.

The first option is to quickly advance to the Pulse Condensation Realm, which would enhance his strength, though not perfectly.

The second option is to replace all eight main veins with Earth Vein Crystals. Achieving a perfect Pulse Condensation Realm would grant unimaginable enhancements in power and foundation.

Li saw Qin An showing a contemplative expression and continued shaking his head, saying, "The family forces in Lingzhou have deep foundations, and acquiring even one Earth Vein Crystal is extremely difficult."

"The Evil Extermination Bureau's foundation is even deeper, yet Earth Vein Crystals remain incredibly precious treasures."

"While those who build a Foundation Establishment with the Five Yang Elixir are common, those who forge an unparalleled foundation with eight Earth Veins are rare."

"If you can truly forge an unparalleled foundation using eight Earth Veins, I'm afraid even Lingzhou would be moved."

With that said, Qin An frowned deeply, but then his expression slightly relaxed.

He sensed the underlying meaning in Li's words.

If he possessed eight Earth Vein Crystals and forged an unparalleled foundation, even the higher-ups would take notice of his talent.

Perhaps the matter of the Yang Elixir could be easily resolved.

Thinking of this, Qin An continued to ask.

"Are there methods to find Earth Vein Crystals?"

Since Earth Vein Crystals are so precious, surely there must be people trying to find them by any means.

The Evil Extermination Bureau has a lot of intelligence in Lingzhou. The patrol officers frequent the mountains and rivers, possibly having more information.

Li sighed, "I originally only intended to give you a few reminders, but didn't expect you to be so stubborn. If you want to find Earth Vein Crystals, you'd need to find an Array Master who knows vein-seeking."

"But Array Masters are already scarce, and those who know vein-seeking are even rarer."

"Even in the cities above Lingzhou, finding an Array Master who knows vein-seeking is incredibly difficult."

"Why do you insist on this?"

Array Master?

Upon hearing those two words, Qin An squinted his eyes slightly.

Suddenly, he had an idea.

Is an Array Master considered a vocational profession?

If it is considered a vocational profession, perhaps he could find the location of an Earth Vein Crystal by activating a new profession.

With this thought, Qin An could hardly suppress himself and asked.

"Do you know if there are Array Masters in Lingzhou?"

If there are Array Masters, he might visit to learn the mysteries of array techniques.

If he could indeed activate a vocational profession, then he could find Earth Vein Crystals through the Array Master profession.

Seeing Qin An's determined appearance, Li knew this young man was truly fearless like a newborn calf.

He also knew that sometimes, young people wouldn't give up without some setbacks.

After a moment of thought, Li pointed in a direction.

"Head south from Lingzhou, where there's a hill shaped like a toad. There, on the hill, is an Array Master force named Golden Array Sect."

"You can visit them, though that Array Master force also doesn't know the vein-seeking technique."

Qin An nodded and clasped his fist, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Li."

The fact that the other party was willing to say so much was giving him face.

The Gold Patrol Officer's position is extremely prestigious, being one of the few at the top tier even in Lingzhou.

For him to say this much to a Silver Patrol Officer, Qin An felt a word of thanks was insignificant.

Li shook his head, saying no more to Qin An.

He knew he had already said enough today.

After this young man encounters a setback, he would naturally know what to do.

Qin An watched as Li walked away into the distance before returning to his room in the Evil Extermination Bureau.

…

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, time gradually passed.

During this period, Qin An remained fixed between the butcher shop and the Evil Extermination Bureau.

He had recently learned from Li about the location of the Array Master force, but he did not go there.

He planned to first train the butcher to level seven and then enhance his saber techniques before considering it.

Once he trained the butcher to level seven, he would try to activate a new profession.

Tonight, on the bustling street, a figure in black stood in front of the butcher's shop.

The figure in black was holding a sharp knife, each cut swifter than the last.

The pork in front seemed to dance on the sharp knife as if it had come to life.

As pieces of pork fell onto the chopping board, each piece was as neat as if measured with a ruler.

When the final cut was made, the night had already enveloped the distance.

Qin An exhaled a long breath, his gaze sweeping over the smoke in front.

The smoke gradually formed words, floating in mid-air.

[Butcher lv.7 (0/1500): The livestock you slaughter are more delicious, and their essence can be enhanced]

[Talent: Jade Bone Realm Saber Technique Great Success, Jade Bone Realm Weapon Skill Insight Complete]

Previously, Qin An had been slaying various demons.

Each demon slain, extracting the demon core, was akin to slaughtering, significantly boosting the butcher's profession level.

During this period, Qin An had been ceaselessly practicing the butcher profession's proficiency.

The butcher profession finally reached level seven.

The condition for upgrading was to slay several Jade Bone Realm demons.

Since Qin An had already completed this, he upgraded smoothly.

Upon leveling up, all Jade Bone Realm talents were elevated to completion, presenting a substantial boost for Qin An.

Qin An informed the butcher on the leave temporarily and wiped the grease off his palms with a nearby rag, returning to his room at the Evil Extermination Bureau.

The room's flame was brightly lit, the oil lamp's light casting dappled shadows in the surroundings.

Qin An took out the Weak Water Three Slashes from his coat and perused them carefully.

After reading the Weak Water Three Slashes, there was a slight increase in the scholar profession.

Qin An then drew the Cold Star from his waist and began practicing in the room according to the moves of the Weak Water Three Slashes.

Weak Water Three Slashes emphasized overcoming strength with softness; the movements were not quick during execution.

At first glance, there seemed nothing particularly special.

But as a skilled bladesman, Qin An had his own insights.

In the room, Qin An drew his saber and danced, the saber momentum as soft as water, with hidden fierce waves.

Upon executing the final move and sheathing his saber, smoke formed words, appearing before him…

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